Sticky M&P soap???

[FitMommyOf2]

What could be the reason for sticky soap? :?
I've never encountered this problem before.. but now one of my return customers (she's more a friend who's taking some soaps off me, really lol) said that the only critique she would give me would be the stickyness factor.. :roll:
Now, don't get me wrong, I want critique, otherwise I don't learn.. But what on earth could be the reason? Too much fragrance?? (I'm using 1 tsp on 4 oz; 1 Tbsp on 8 oz etc)

Please help me out here guys!

 

[pepperi27]

Well where you purchase the base could be a factor. Mp soaps sweat naturally because of the glycerin so you have to wrap them up real tight. Another reason could be if she left them somewhere that they could melt? Although I can leave my mp soap out in the open during the cold season and it won't melt or anything. If anything it gets harder! What type of base was it? Clear glycerin and honey I've found is sticky but I love honey bases because it is ultra moisturizing.

 

[FitMommyOf2]

Thank you, Pepperi!

Hmm.. I always get my M&P from WSSP and this was Goat Milk base.
I guess it must have had something to do with a) me not wrapping the soaps individually in Saran wrap but putting each in a cello bag and b) my friend maybe really having put the soaps somewhere warmer???

Either way.. I think from now on I'll go back to using the Saran as the 1st step (like I used to when I started out with M&P -until I got lazy and skipped that step.. ).

Oh, and thanks for the hint on the Honey M&P base; I'll have to try that one. I have super dry skin and would love something extra moisturizing! :wink:

 

[Tabitha]

In cold weather it kind if rains inside of those cello bags, kind of like in a terarium. I have some I did like that.

Glycerin soap does attract moisture though, pulls it right out of the air & sucks it to the surface of the bar, they say that is what you want it to do because that means it is drawing moisture to your skin as well.

 

[FitMommyOf2]

Thanks for the explanation, Tab! That makes a lot of sense now to me! :wink:

 

[dreadlocklove]

Thank you, Pepperi!

Hmm.. I always get my M&P from WSSP and this was Goat Milk base.
I guess it must have had something to do with a) me not wrapping the soaps individually in Saran wrap but putting each in a cello bag

What is the result of putting the soap in a cello bag and vacuum sealing it? I understand why saran is used, but if I'm concerned that after heat sealing, someone may have problems unwrapping and/or damaging the soap (even if only a little) in the process.

 

[SilverMaple]

If it's dry where you are, you may want to try leaving the soap sit out a few days before wrapping. I've not had any 'sweating' issues since doing this. The WSP base can be a bit stickier than other bases, so I let everything sit out to 'dry' when I used that base. It sounds counterproductive, but it has made a difference for me. I put several unwrapped bars in cello bags as a set and never had a problem, even when stored in a bathroom.

Also, be sure you aren't heating the base too much. You want to stir the last few chunks in-- if it bubbles when you heat it, it got too hot and will tend to sweat. Additives, too, can make a soap sticky. Did you put anything but FO in the base?

Is this the regular GM base or the natural one? Tons of people have had problems with sticky, bendy soaps using WSP's natural base. The regular base is much easier to work with.

 

[pops1]

The amount of fragrance oil you are using seems way over the top which could give you sticky soap.I am no expert but l always thought you were suppose to use 1-2 teaspoons per 1 lb or 1%-2% per 1 lb depending on the fragrance.
Just to make sure could somebody else confirm this for me.Maybe l am using the wrong amount

 

[countrygirl@heart]

i would agree with pops1 has said.

 

[SilverMaple]

Rereading the original post-- you are using a lot of fragrance. That's part of the problem right there.

 

[FitMommyOf2]

The amount of fragrance oil you are using seems way over the top which could give you sticky soap.I am no expert but l always thought you were suppose to use 1-2 teaspoons per 1 lb or 1%-2% per 1 lb depending on the fragrance.Just to make sure could somebody else confirm this for me.Maybe l am using the wrong amount

Really? Wow, see, the problem is that with 1-2 tsp per 1lb my soap seems to hardly smell at all and after a few weeks the smell is almost completely gone :roll: , which is why I've increased it up to 1 tsp per 4 oz.
Oh and my last batches that I've made just recently and let air out for an entire day didn't sweat or get sticky, so I assume I was too quick to wrap them and that's rather the culprit of the sticky problem I had when I posted this.